FREMONT, Neb. - The final minute of Kansas Wesleyan's flag football game with Midland University on Tuesday was wild. The Coyotes would come back from a 14-7 deficit in the final minute and hold off a late charge by the Warriors to seal the 15-14 win at Needum Field.
It was two big defensive stops for the Coyotes that sealed the win.
After KWU's drive failed at its own 33, Midland had the ball with 1:52 to go. The Warriors could not convert a first down on the drive however, as Angel Roman and the Coyote defense stopped Midland at the KWU 21 on fourth down with 56 seconds left giving the ball back to the Coyotes.
Wesleyan needed only one play and 13 seconds to score. Quarterback Chihiro Iwata hit Ciaran DeCuir down the left sideline and she outraced everyone to the endzone drawing the Coyotes within a point at 14-13 with 43 seconds left.
KWU decided to go for two on the PAT and Iwata's pass was good, giving KWU a 15-14 lead.
Midland started its drive getting a pass interference call against the Coyotes to get a first down at the 24. After a breakup of a pass by Samari McKinney, Midland converted a second down play to the 37. Two plays later Midland had a first down at the KWU 38, but after an incompletion, Aaliyah Wood would pick off a pass to seal the win for the Coyotes.
It was a scoreless game until there was 44 seconds left in the second quarter when Midland grabbed a 7-0 lead.
The Coyotes tied it with 3:32 left in the third as Iwata hit Roman for a 44-yard touchdown pass and the PAT was good to knot things up at 7-7.
Midland scored on its next drive to take a 14-7 lead with 9:50 left in the game.
Iwata was 16 of 30 passing for 225 yards and two scores. She also rushed for 11 yards. Ava Duerr had five catches for 32 yards. Roman had three for 72, DeCuir had two for 72, and Wood had three for 24.
McKinney led KWU's defense with four flag pulls.